Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06NASSAU1815
2006-12-11 21:46:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Nassau
Cable title:
COMMODORE ATTACKS CORRUPTION, PROMISES TO FIRE 25
how-toVZCZCXYZ0000 RR RUEHWEB DE RUEHBH #1815/01 3452146 ZNY CCCCC ZZH R 112146Z DEC 06 FM AMEMBASSY NASSAU TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3615 INFO RUEHBE/AMEMBASSY BELMOPAN 0010 RUEHWN/AMEMBASSY BRIDGETOWN 5507 RUEHGE/AMEMBASSY GEORGETOWN 3599 RUEHKG/AMEMBASSY KINGSTON 8448 RUEHPU/AMEMBASSY PORT AU PRINCE 3460 RUEHSP/AMEMBASSY PORT OF SPAIN 4618 RUEHDG/AMEMBASSY SANTO DOMINGO 2734 RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC RHMFISS/HQ USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL RUEHUB/USINT HAVANA 0345 RUENAAA/SECNAV WASHDC RUCOWCV/CCGDSEVEN MIAMI FL RUWDQAC/COMDT COGARD WASHDC//G-OPL/G-OCA//
C O N F I D E N T I A L NASSAU 001815
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR WHA/CAR RCBUDDEN, COGARD FOR G-CI, PM/PPA,
SOUTHCOM FOR POLAD, SOUTHCOM FOR CFORD
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/05/2016
TAGS: PREL MCAP KCOR BF
SUBJECT: COMMODORE ATTACKS CORRUPTION, PROMISES TO FIRE 25
PERCENT OF DEFENSE FORCE
REF: NASSAU 1659
Classified By: Charge d'affaires, a.i. Brent Hardt for reasons 1.4(b) a
nd (d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L NASSAU 001815
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR WHA/CAR RCBUDDEN, COGARD FOR G-CI, PM/PPA,
SOUTHCOM FOR POLAD, SOUTHCOM FOR CFORD
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/05/2016
TAGS: PREL MCAP KCOR BF
SUBJECT: COMMODORE ATTACKS CORRUPTION, PROMISES TO FIRE 25
PERCENT OF DEFENSE FORCE
REF: NASSAU 1659
Classified By: Charge d'affaires, a.i. Brent Hardt for reasons 1.4(b) a
nd (d)
1. (U) SUMMARY: Newly appointed Royal Bahamas Defense Force
(RBDF) Commodore Clifford Scavella asserted in a December 5
radio interview that 25 percent of the roughly 1000 RBDF
officers are corrupt. He has pledged to move expeditiously
to deal with corruption in the force and to improve its
effectiveness following two serious scandals in the month
Scavella has led the Force. END SUMMARY.
2. (U) Clifford Scavella, recently appointed Commodore of the
RBDF, signaled the start of the Defense Force shakeup
foretold by his appointment (reftel) in a widely reported
interview on a local talk show aired December 5. Scavella
revealed that approximately 250 persons in the RBDF -- 25
percent of the RBDF's total personnel -- were corrupt ("bad
apples", as he termed them). Another 25 percent, he added,
could "go either way." Scavella promised to cull these 250
bad apples from the force "as soon as possible" in a major
personnel restructuring. He hoped his disciplinary efforts
would bring the other 25 percent to see the light and stay on
the right side. This announcement is in line with his stated
goals of restoring the prestige of the RBDF in Bahamian
society and improving military discipline in the force.
Scavella previously announced his intention to build a brig
at the RBDF Coral Harbor Base to hold personnel who fail to
follow military standards of conduct.
3. (U) Scavella's crackdown comes as the RBDF responds to
two major scandals in the short time since he assumed command
of the force. On November 26, a group of RBDF officers
allegedly beat a man in the southern Bahama island of Inagua
after a dispute at a local bar, creating fears of reprisals
by angry local residents against the RBDF Inagua base. Then
on November 7, a local paper published allegations that RBDF
officers embezzled $300,000 worth of marijuana from
interdicted Haitian sloop Melia. Both matters are under
investigation by the Bahamian government.
4. (U) The drug theft allegation is particularly sensitive
because of its similarity to the well-publicized RBDF theft
of $6 million of cocaine from the Colombian boat Lorequin in
1992. The Lorequin event resulted in a national Commission
of Inquiry on corruption in 2003 and ultimately led to an
independent review of the RBDF that was completed earlier
this year (reftel). The Bahamian government has not publicly
released results of the Defense Force Review, but it is this
review that led to Scavella's appointment and charge to clean
up the force.
5. (C) As various newspaper commentaries have pointed out,
the RBDF is now reaping the harvest of years of underfunding,
lax discipline, and poor leadership. The force also
currently has limited marine assets to do its job patrolling
the Bahamas' California-sized seas, which has contributed to
low morale. U.S. support from Operation Enduring Friendship
for new patrol vessels will add a needed infusion of new
capability to go along with the Commodore's new leadership
directions. The Deputy Prime Minister welcomed U.S. support
in a meeting with SOUTHCOM Deputy Commander Glenn Spears
December 1.
6. (C) COMMENT: Scavella is quickly establishing a
reputation as a disciplinarian, a welcome change from his
predecessor. Post previously reported that Scavella would
face challenges in implementing needed reform, but his
apparent willingness to make difficult staffing decisions --
if carried out -- would be a strong indication he is up to
the task. Scavella is certainly sending a strong message to
the RBDF that ignoring military discipline will no longer be
tolerated. The public and the media is watching Scavella's
moves closely, and have already concluded that his reaction
to these early incidents will be his first big test as
commander and will likely set the tone for his tenure at the
helm of the RBDF. END COMMENT.
HARDT
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE FOR WHA/CAR RCBUDDEN, COGARD FOR G-CI, PM/PPA,
SOUTHCOM FOR POLAD, SOUTHCOM FOR CFORD
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/05/2016
TAGS: PREL MCAP KCOR BF
SUBJECT: COMMODORE ATTACKS CORRUPTION, PROMISES TO FIRE 25
PERCENT OF DEFENSE FORCE
REF: NASSAU 1659
Classified By: Charge d'affaires, a.i. Brent Hardt for reasons 1.4(b) a
nd (d)
1. (U) SUMMARY: Newly appointed Royal Bahamas Defense Force
(RBDF) Commodore Clifford Scavella asserted in a December 5
radio interview that 25 percent of the roughly 1000 RBDF
officers are corrupt. He has pledged to move expeditiously
to deal with corruption in the force and to improve its
effectiveness following two serious scandals in the month
Scavella has led the Force. END SUMMARY.
2. (U) Clifford Scavella, recently appointed Commodore of the
RBDF, signaled the start of the Defense Force shakeup
foretold by his appointment (reftel) in a widely reported
interview on a local talk show aired December 5. Scavella
revealed that approximately 250 persons in the RBDF -- 25
percent of the RBDF's total personnel -- were corrupt ("bad
apples", as he termed them). Another 25 percent, he added,
could "go either way." Scavella promised to cull these 250
bad apples from the force "as soon as possible" in a major
personnel restructuring. He hoped his disciplinary efforts
would bring the other 25 percent to see the light and stay on
the right side. This announcement is in line with his stated
goals of restoring the prestige of the RBDF in Bahamian
society and improving military discipline in the force.
Scavella previously announced his intention to build a brig
at the RBDF Coral Harbor Base to hold personnel who fail to
follow military standards of conduct.
3. (U) Scavella's crackdown comes as the RBDF responds to
two major scandals in the short time since he assumed command
of the force. On November 26, a group of RBDF officers
allegedly beat a man in the southern Bahama island of Inagua
after a dispute at a local bar, creating fears of reprisals
by angry local residents against the RBDF Inagua base. Then
on November 7, a local paper published allegations that RBDF
officers embezzled $300,000 worth of marijuana from
interdicted Haitian sloop Melia. Both matters are under
investigation by the Bahamian government.
4. (U) The drug theft allegation is particularly sensitive
because of its similarity to the well-publicized RBDF theft
of $6 million of cocaine from the Colombian boat Lorequin in
1992. The Lorequin event resulted in a national Commission
of Inquiry on corruption in 2003 and ultimately led to an
independent review of the RBDF that was completed earlier
this year (reftel). The Bahamian government has not publicly
released results of the Defense Force Review, but it is this
review that led to Scavella's appointment and charge to clean
up the force.
5. (C) As various newspaper commentaries have pointed out,
the RBDF is now reaping the harvest of years of underfunding,
lax discipline, and poor leadership. The force also
currently has limited marine assets to do its job patrolling
the Bahamas' California-sized seas, which has contributed to
low morale. U.S. support from Operation Enduring Friendship
for new patrol vessels will add a needed infusion of new
capability to go along with the Commodore's new leadership
directions. The Deputy Prime Minister welcomed U.S. support
in a meeting with SOUTHCOM Deputy Commander Glenn Spears
December 1.
6. (C) COMMENT: Scavella is quickly establishing a
reputation as a disciplinarian, a welcome change from his
predecessor. Post previously reported that Scavella would
face challenges in implementing needed reform, but his
apparent willingness to make difficult staffing decisions --
if carried out -- would be a strong indication he is up to
the task. Scavella is certainly sending a strong message to
the RBDF that ignoring military discipline will no longer be
tolerated. The public and the media is watching Scavella's
moves closely, and have already concluded that his reaction
to these early incidents will be his first big test as
commander and will likely set the tone for his tenure at the
helm of the RBDF. END COMMENT.
HARDT